The Wizard Of Time
by Sonic Jules
Summary: 10.Rose.... NOT a crossover.  The TARDIS does a little bump and grind and Rose ends up with a serious concussion...  And some pretty wild dreams as well.  Luckily for her, the Doctor is always in.
1. Chapter 1

**The Wizard Of Time**

Part One

By Sonic Jules

**A/N:** I don't own a thing. Nothing 'Wizard Of Oz' nor 'Doctor Who'. Just borrowing a few little things in hopes that they have a sense of humor.

"Rose, Rose, Rose Rose, Rose! You are going to be absolutely tickled when we arrive on Garchenai! I'm telling you, those little people are the cutest things - though you really don't want to tell them that; they get a bit miffed when you call them 'cute, or 'little' for that matter. Anyway, they have pebble lined roads leading to their little pebble stone homes and if you walk through the woods far enough you can see a castle - it's amazing! It's got real emeralds in the stones that were used to build it, and when the sun shines upon it, it's the most fantastic thing for the eye to behold." The Doctor was going on and on, his enthusiasm so contagious that Rose couldn't help but be caught up in it.

"How long before we get there?" she asked, practically hopping on her feet as she watched him bounce gleefully around the center console.

"Oh, just a few minutes, give or take," he answered, then moved around to where she stood, leaning in to whisper. "I think the old girl's got a bit of indigestion at the moment. You didn't throw away those leftovers Jackie sent back with us in the garbage disposal, did you?"

Rose laughed out loud. The Doctor was fast when he wanted to be and she'd just missed giving him a good slap on his arm for that comment because of those speedy reflexes.

"Annnnnyway," the Doctor started again as he resumed flipping levers, "when I was last there they'd just discovered how to make tin. Tin, Rose - can you imagine? They were making cooking utensils and tools - one Garchenain even made a tin man for his straw garden! It was beautiful - kept all the birds away, but his produce ended up getting flattened a bit when the townsfolk began gathering around to have a look at the tin scarecrow. Well, I guess it wasn't a scarecrow - more like a scare-dreaver - they have dreavers, not crows."

"Well, yeah, that's interesting enough, I guess," Rose spoke with an unimpressed tone. "But what about the castle? Can we go see it?" she asked, hoping this trip wasn't just about their farming techniques.

"Oh, I s'pose so, we'll just have to be a bit careful about it when we head over there," he answered as he punched in a button dramatically.

"Careful? I thought you said the people were friendly." Rose was beginning to doubt that this was just a place to go and relax as the Doctor had originally told her.

He looked up at her over the console and grinned. "It's not the people we have to be looking out for. More like the flying monkeys."

"The what? Did you just say 'flying monkeys'?"

"Of course I did - nothing wrong with your hearing, is it?" he asked a bit sarcastically.

"Oh lovely," she replied with the exact sarcastic tone he'd given her. "So then, tell me 'bout the castle? Does it have a King and a Queen and knights and a big huge courtyard full of gardens and things?"

The Doctor smiled. "Not quite," he said with a little leer.

"Oh, and the drama continues," Rose grinned. "Tell me, what's so ominous about the castle dwellers then?"

"Dweller. Just one. A man that none of the population can say they've actually met in person," he spoke with a conspiratory tone, looking around with eyes wide, pretending there might be someone sinister trying to hear.

"Time to cue in the eerie music," Rose laughed, and the Doctor joined in.

"Yes. He's said to be a Wizard."

"Oooh," Rose began, "the plot thickens. A Wizard. Like in times of Camelot or something?"

"No, more like a hermit. Ah - Herman's Hermits - remember them well. Now those were the days of your world, Rose Tyler." He looked at Rose and he could tell, oh yes he could, that she wasn't really into this part of his conversation. Maybe it was that nice little glare she gave him when he'd gone completely off subject. The Doctor cleared his throat. "As I was about to say, there's tons of yellow flowers planted close to the castle, put there for a purpose, mind you, because it's said that if you inhale from their flora they'll put you to sleep," the Doctor smiled. "He wants to be alone."

"Very interesting," Rose smiled back.

"He's said to be intelligent to the point of brilliant - and rather handsome, too," the Doctor added.

"That all?"

"Oh, well, don't forget the witches. Can't forget that," he added, slanting his eyes to the side to see her reaction as he twisted another knob on the console.

"Witches? They've got little witches running around there?"

"No." The Doctor stood straight and gave her a serious look. "They don't run. They fly."

"Okay, now I really know you're kidding. You must be," Rose said, looking at him as he held her gaze. "You're serious, aren't you!"

The Doctor grinned. "There's only one way to find out."

Rose burst out into laughter. "Fantastic!" she exclaimed.

The Doctor smiled broadly. "Ready for an adventure?" he asked, his hand poised over a lever - the last one to push down before they landed.

"Definitely," Rose answered immediately.

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It was the biggest explosion he could ever remember inside the TARDIS. The Doctor had flipped down a lever and the ship had jerked to the left, throwing him down to the grating and Rose off the main platform. He rolled to the side just in time to watch the center console flare with fire and then the TARDIS jerked again, sending him rolling down into Rose.

"You all right?" The Doctor asked breathlessly.

"Yeah," Rose answered him quickly.

The interior lighting had failed - only the greenish hue of the vortex giving the Doctor a way to see around, but the main room lit up brightly once more as the center console threw sparks. It looked like a fireworks display going off right in the middle of the ship. The Doctor was ever-so grateful that he wasn't standing beside it when it blew. The TARDIS crackled and moaned and spit fire all around the main room, and soon smoke was swirling overhead. Then just as suddenly as it had started, everything went quiet. The Doctor stood up and ran to the center console, snatching off his coat to smother the flames, but as he readied to use it, the fire went out.

"Good girl," the Doctor whispered to his ship, dropping his jacket on the floor beside him. As if responding to him, the TARDIS lights came back on, illuminating the destruction.

"Gonna take at least a few days to fix this mess," the Doctor said as he walked around the charred circle, looking up and down as he observed the damage. "I wonder what could've caused it," he said to himself, poking his index finger into a jumble of wiring that should've been inside the console, but was now sitting on top of it. He snatched his finger back quickly and hissed; the wire obviously still too hot to touch.. "Hmm. Well whatever it was, seems to be over with now. I don't hear anything going on outside," he said as he walked around the console for the forth time. "You hear anything, Rose?"

The Doctor turned towards where he'd last seen her. She was still on the floor. "Rose? Rose!" he yelled and took off running, stopping as he fell to his knees beside her.

Rose lay on her side, facing the Doctor with eyes closed. She hadn't moved since he'd rolled into her a few minutes before. Gently placing his fingertips to her neck, his eyes closed in relief when he found her pulse. It was slow, but steady, and the Doctor found himself releasing a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He brushed the hair from her face and looked at her closely. "Rose? Can you hear me?" he asked gently; worry clear on his features. He felt along her scalp with his fingertips, feeling a rather large lump forming behind her right ear. He sighed deeply, then reached behind her, his hands feeling along her spine, making sure there were no injuries there. Feeling confident, the Doctor carefully rolled her over on her back without jarring her body.

"Rose?" he asked, still getting no response as his fingers felt up and down her limbs, checking for broken bones. When he reached her right wrist, she moaned a little, so he carefully touched over the bones between wrist and fingertips, finding that she'd probably sprained it when she landed. Luckily nothing was broken.

Pulling out his sonic screwdriver, he held it above her and moved it slowly along her torso, finding no internal bleeding. Holding it over her head, he moved it around a few times, his brow furrowing. Putting the instrument away, he gently placed his arms beneath her body and lifted her into his hold. He moved swiftly down the TARDIS corridors, only slowing when he'd reached the med bay door.

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Rose opened her eyes and looked around, seeing the Doctor looking down at her. And from the way things were swishing in and out of her vision, she was pretty sure something had happened to her. "What's goin' on?" she asked, finally seeing that she was in the med bay.

"You don't remember," the Doctor stated, helping her to sit up.

"No, that's why I'm asking," she said, putting a hand to her head - the pain beginning to awaken.

"Well, we had a hard landing when we got to Garchenai - I told you the TARDIS wasn't feeling well. We got shook up a bit, and you went flying off the main platform and managed to bump your head in the process. Got yourself a concussion, too. But," he looked her over closely, "I think you'll live," he finished, grinning.

"Oh, that's good to know," Rose replied, grinning back at him. "So, we made it there - on Garchenai then?"

"We did indeed. But I'm going to be busy repairing the mess that came of it. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay," she answered as he helped her to stand. "Can I do anything to help?"

"No. What you can do is go get some rest. If you start feeling nauseous or dizzy let me know. And if you're feeling all right in the next, oh say, six hours, you can go out and see the township for yourself."

"What - you're letting me go out there on my own? Did you hit your head, too?"

"Don't be silly," he smiled at Rose. "You're perfectly capable of handling yourself, and don't you forget, I've been here before, so I'm pretty sure it's safe. Plus, while you were unconscious, I went out there and let them know that we'd be here a while for repairs. They can't wait to meet you, by the way."

She smiled at him. "Okay," she said, her enthusiasm clear.

"All right. Now off you go, Rose Tyler. Time for you to rest. I've got tons of work to get started on."

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Rose did like she was told, per 'Doctor's orders', and was up bright and early to face the dawn of Garchenai six and a half hours later. It was beautiful, the town looking like something out of Hansel and Gretel. Without the gingerbread house, she noticed. The people were friendly and polite with her, and she was able to move about with only minimal stares - seeing as she was tall and a bit odd looking in their eyes.

When she stumbled upon the garden with the "Tin Man" sitting in the middle, she couldn't help but smile. It was much taller than the average height of the residents here, and looked somewhat familiar to her. She stepped in closer, admiring the handiwork.

"Hello!" It said, startling Rose so much that she stumbled backwards, almost falling before regaining her balance.

Rose looked around a bit before returning her gaze to the tin sculpture. "Um, hello," she answered.

"You from out of town?" it asked.

"Uh, yeah, kind of," Rose answered.

"That's grand! Simply grand," it told her.

"Yeah? Why's that?"

"Because no one will notice if you go missing!" The tin man leapt forward, but luckily Rose was more agile than it was and she jumped back, turning herself and running before the evil incarnate of tin could grab her. She could hear it chasing her though - it's welded joints creaking and groaning. And it was getting closer. Rose ran into a crop of woods, not caring where she was heading as long as it was away from that thing chasing her. She screamed though, when she felt it's metal hand clasp her shoulder.

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The Doctor jumped, literally, when a scream tore from Rose's lips out of no where. It had been so quiet in the med bay that her yell startled him. Her breathing was increased and her pulse was throbbing quickly from the wrist he now held.

"Rose? Can you hear me? What's wrong?" he asked, but got no response. She simply lay where she had been on the gurney, her eyes remaining closed. "Rose?"

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Rose was standing completely still, the hand on her shoulder stopping her from moving forward. If it wasn't for the moan of pain she'd heard that wasn't hers, she would've been terrified.

Ducking herself down, she was able to release her shoulder from it's tinny fingers. She moved out of the tin one's reach and turned around, wondering why it was frozen in place and in agony.

"What's wrong with you?" she asked, seeing the pain etched on the shiny face.

"Need lubrication," it began, trying to move itself to stand up straight, the sound of protesting joints like that of fingernails on a chalkboard. It couldn't budge more than a couple of inches. "The rains - they've rusted me up. Help me," it asked, looking at her sorrowfully.

"No way. Not after what you just tried there. No way I'm going to lubricate you, anywhere."

Rose looked at the tin man one last time then turned away, walking down the path that she'd run upon. 'The nerve', she thought, it chasing her like that and then asking for help. "You've got balls, I'll give you that," she said under her breath.

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The Doctor had just placed his sonic screwdriver back in his pocket, having checked over Rose thoroughly in case something else was wrong other than her concussion. He was relieved when he found nothing, but worried for the same reason. After all, she had just screamed well enough to wake the bloody dead. He pulled a stool up and sat beside her, noticing her hands clenched into fists - her body tense.

"No way I'm going to lubricate you, anywhere," she spoke, though her eyes didn't open.

"Rose?" he asked, looking her over carefully. "Are you talking to me?" He was truly perplexed at her statement. He looked at her face, and stared at her closed eyes. "I don't really think that lubrication would be an issue," he stated under his breath, hoping for any kind of response. Instead her breathing evened out and her body relaxed. And the Doctor continued to watch over her.

"You've got balls, I'll give you that," she said evenly, much to the Doctor's surprise. He watched as her facial features relaxed. His eyes, however, where still a bit wide from her statement.

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Rose found herself a bit lost, thanks to the horrid tin scarecrow thing that had chased her. It would just be swell, she thought sarcastically, if she were to get lost and the Doctor would end up having to stop what he was doing to come find her.

Topping off her wariness of the Doctor saying 'I told you not to wander off', again, Rose was feeling a bit guilty for leaving that thing when it had asked for her help. She shook her head, trying to clear that thought. When she did, something fell from her hair. And something was snickering at her.

Looking down she saw the twig that had been nesting in her hair, but looking up, she saw the source of the giggling. It was a monkey. A very sweet looking little creature, that she instantly smiled at as he sat watching her from a high branch in one of the many trees she'd gotten herself lost in.

"Come here little fella - I won't hurt you," she spoke softly. The monkey tilted his head sideways at her, his face curious. "Come on, you can keep me company," she said, holding out her hand to him. He stood then, ready to join her.

How could she have forgotten what the Doctor told her? The little beast of mischief jumped from the branch he was on and flew - wings spread like a bat - right at her. She ducked down quickly, then looked up as many, many of his kind came flying out of the tree. They weren't attacking her, but they'd scared her plenty, that was for sure. The one she'd been talking to had gotten the closest - she'd felt the breeze of his wings against her back as she crouched down to protect herself. When they'd finally cleared the tree, she was amazed at the silence that came in their wake. That, she realized, was because they were all carrying on and screaming when they'd left - deafeningly loud, in her opinion.

Standing straight again, she felt something heavier than her shirt on her right shoulder. Slowly turning her head to the side, her face squinted at the sight. Monkey poop. She immediately grabbed some leaves from the forest floor and commenced getting the offensive bile off her person.

"Stupid little bastard," she said to herself, wiping away the crap.

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The Doctor stood over Rose, noticing her heavy breathing and rising heart rate.

"Rose? It's time for you to wake up, now," he said gently, hoping to coax her from her concussion-induced sleep.

"Stupid little bastard," she said right on cue.

The Doctor stood back, an offended look on his face. "You're very lucky you are unconscious, young lady," he said, folding his arms across his chest..

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To be continued...

(On to the next chapter!)


	2. Chapter 2

The Wizard of Time

Part 2

Previously...

The Doctor stood over Rose, noticing her heavy breathing and rising heart rate.

"Rose? It's time for you to wake up, now," he said gently, hoping to coax her from her concussion-induced sleep.

"Stupid little bastard," she said right on cue.

The Doctor stood back, an offended look on his face. "You're very lucky you are unconscious, young lady," he said, folding his arms across his chest..

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Rose continued walking along the path in the forest, looking over at her right shoulder now and then with disgust. She'd wiped it off with leaves, but it had left a disgusting little stain with an equally disgusting smell, and that was worthy of a cringe now and then. She sighed as she stopped walking for a minute and looked in front of her, realizing she must've walked a good distance without realizing it. The forest line ended just ahead and it looked like there were fields and fields of beautiful yellow daffodils - or whatever was this planet's version of them, anyway. They were gorgeous! Flowers and more flowers, as far as the eye could see. She began walking again, quickening her step to see them more closely.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you," a sickeningly sweet voice said softly from above.

'Great', Rose thought, 'now the monkeys can talk, too.' Rose looked up and saw what looked to be an angel high above who slowly was floating down in front of her. When she landed, she smiled innocently and Rose grinned slightly, still unsure of what she was seeing.

"Those flowers carry a unique fragrance that may be harmful to you, my child," the angel spoke in her sing-song-too-perfect voice.

Rose couldn't stop herself from asking. "Are you like what, an angel?"

The sparkling lady smiled graciously at the young girl in front of her. "I am Glenda."

"Oh, well, that explains it then," Rose said with a slight roll of her eyes.

"I am the good witch of these fair lands," the fairiesque lady finished.

"Ah, so that's it then - you're just lookin' out for me, yeah?" Rose asked. Glenda nodded. "So how come you didn't stop the monkeys attacking me then? You could've at least stopped that one from pooping on me," she said, looking over at her stained shoulder with disgust.

Glenda smiled and stepped closer to Rose. She took her wand, the one with a star on the end of it, which Rose found sooo cliché'd, and tapped it gently on her right shoulder. When she was done, Rose looked down and found herself in a really cute denim pantsuit of scarlet with matching ruby red sneakers.

"Thanks!" Rose said cheerfully, then walked around Glenda, heading for the flowers.

"Where are you going?" Glenda asked, following behind Rose as she continued her journey, undaunted.

"Well, if it's all the same to you, I think I need to keep moving. You see, the Doctor, well, he's going to be pretty mad at me if I don't get back to the TAR-, to our place, because I got lost and wandered off, and since I've been attacked by a tin man and had a close brush with flying monkeys, I might have to assume that I've hit my head, because none of this is making any sense at the moment." Rose then stood completely still, and turned round to Glenda. "Oh my God, I'm starting to ramble on an' on, just like him!" Shrugging her shoulders, Rose turned back around and walked her first few steps into the field, still keeping her feet on the pebbled road. She looked back at Glenda. "Aren't you coming?"

"I can not," Glenda answered. "I am forbidden to enter the field of yellow flowers."

"That so, eh?", Rose began as she bent down and grabbed a handful of them, pulling them from the ground. "That's a real shame, because these flowers are the highlight of my whole visit here so far."

"Aha!" Cried another female voice from behind her, and Rose looked up immediately to see what kind of creature was speaking with such a nasty, wicked tone. Above her was the perfect rendition of an evil witch - with masses of stringy black hair and a hooked nose anyone else would've been seeking plastic surgery for. Behind the evil incarnate were dozens of those flying monkeys, and the whole view made Rose cringe. She turned immediately back to Glenda, but found the so-called 'good' witch to be gone.

"Don't go looking for her help - this is _my_ territory," the evil one spit out, then howled with a treacherous laugh. "You belong to me! Get her, my children!" she bellowed to the monkeys.

Rose threw herself to the ground, rolling her body on the pebbled surface as she kicked out at the pesky creatures with every opportunity she could find. She could feel the monkeys clawing at her, trying to find purchase to pull her up and carry her away, but Rose was a fighter, and she rolled and tumbled and fought them until they retreated.

She stood up and brushed herself off, then leaned down to pick up the flowers she'd thrown down. When she stood back up again, she was face to face with the evil witch.

"You are mine," she spoke with a sinister tone, narrowing her eyes at Rose as if she dared her to say otherwise. "You'll come with me or die!"

The look of fear that Rose had at first seeing the witch seemed to evaporate into a grin, perplexing the witch somewhat as Rose took a step forward, then gave the evil one a smile. "I. Don't. Think. So."

Thrusting the flowers she held into the witch's face, she watched the hag's eyes droop almost immediately. For every step back the witch took, Rose matched it and stepped forward. Soon the witch was laying down on the path, mumbling.

.  
I'll get you my pretty - you'll see, I'll get you!"

"Yeah, well, it smells like rain to me, so you'd better watch out, because I hear it's the kind of rain that melts away bad little witches like you," Rose replied, proud to have remembered what she'd been told about the sleeping powers of the flowers. She really had no idea where the thought of the rain melting the evil witch had come from, but the look of terror on the old hags features told her it was a good thought, nonetheless. She stepped over the now-sleeping nasty witch, dropping the flowers she held in front of her nose. Straightening her new clothes, Rose continued walking the path, hoping she wouldn't be lost for long. But then one brave little monkey decided to attack the woman who'd put his master down.

Rose easily defended herself against the monkey - punching or slapping it every time it flew near her, and soon it flew away from her expediently. "Go back and tell them all - you'll never have me!"

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The Doctor stared at Rose, perplexed. Sitting on his stool, he leaned over his knees and placed his elbows on them, propping his chin in his hands as he watched her. He knew she was obviously having some pretty vivid dreams while her body tried to heal itself. But what were they? They had to be doozies, all right. He was on alert again when her body tensed and she moaned a couple of times.

"You'll never have me," she said.

He grinned at the unconscious woman laying before him, knowing she was still dreaming. "Oh, my dear Rose, I'd say I've all ready got you," he spoke with quiet confidence.

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Rose was walking along the path, which was now within what seemed to be miles and miles of yellow flowers. It was so beautiful that she twirled herself a couple of times as she walked with contentment on her journey. Continuing her trek, she picked a few more flowers and brought them to her face, inhaling their fragrance.

"Oh crap," she exclaimed, suddenly remembering why that shouldn't be done. Rose fell to the ground, her body landing in the field of flowers.

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Rose awoke to the comforts of soft straw beneath her body and a down pillow beneath her head, and knew she must have been dreaming before. Until she realized she'd just recognized her bed as straw. Sitting straight up, she found herself surrounded by little men and was somehow reminded of 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs'.

"Who are you? And where am I?" she asked, bringing her legs around the side of the bed until her feet hit the floor.

"Don't be alarmed, Miss. We were sent to get you out of the clutches of the evil witch," one of the little fellows volunteered.

"Who sent you - the Doctor?" she asked, her head clearing up a bit.

"No, Glenda, the good witch - she sent us, seeing as she couldn't very well go doing it herself," another man told her. If she were to name this little man he would surely be called 'Grumpy'.

Rose shook her head for a moment and then stood up. "I thank you for helping me an' all, but I've got to be going." she said as politely as she could with the speed she took in getting to the door.

"And just where do you think you'd be going to, Missy?" 'Grumpy' asked.

"I have to get back to the... To home. I have to go home."

"Well there's only one way out of here now that you've gotten the evil witch all worked up, and that's through the castle," he told her.

"Through the castle?" she asked, dumbfounded. "What'd you mean?"

'Grumpy' stared at her for a moment, then spoke. "You've walked a long way from town, gone almost all 'round our little country. You can't turn back now that you've gotten the evil witch all pissy - her and her monkeys'll be waiting for ya. The only way back is through the castle - the town's right on the other side of it."

"You mean I've been walking a full circle?" Rose asked quietly.

"Yep."

"All right. Guess I'm goin' through the castle then," Rose sighed.

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The little men - there were eight of them; Rose counted just to be sure there weren't seven - walked her to the grounds of the castle, stopping just outside the gate. It was there that Glenda arrived, wishing her a safe journey with a bit of advice.

"The Wizard is a solitary man and he relishes his privacy. Be gentle when you stumble upon his home and he may let you pass. If you meet up with him, show him your shoes - he will know I have sent you forth by them," she said sweetly.

The confused look on Rose's face seemed to amuse the good witch. Glenda simply pointed her wand to the Ruby colored tennis shoes on Rose's feet, making Rose look down at them. They were sparkling. "He likes things flashy," she said, as if everyone knew that fact.

"Okay then," Rose began, taking a deep breath. She stepped forward and pushed on the gates, watching as they sprung open for her. Turning around, she smiled at Glenda and the little men standing all around her. "Thank you," she spoke softly, then walked through.

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The Doctor had started pacing around the little room of the med bay, his worry growing for Rose with each hour that passed. He knew the longer she remained unconscious, the worse it could be for her. Oh yes, there were things he could do to make her better, but they were sometimes drastic steps to take on something so frail as a human being, and none that he would take until at least twenty-four hours had passed. Pulling out his pocket watch and opening it, he realized that she had only been unconscious for about five hours. It sure as hell felt longer than that.

Sitting down in the stool beside her again, he took her hand into his. "Rose, Rose, Rose. You know, you've been making it quite the habit of worrying me here lately. Probably taken off a few years of my life, that." He sighed. "But I wouldn't trade it for the world - the universe even."

"Thank you," she whispered, still unconscious.

The Doctor grinned.

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Rose walked past the lush bushing trees that lined the area of the fence and suddenly her jaw dropped open as she stopped in her tracks. Hidden by the brush, the hugeness of the opulent emerald castle was quite a surprise. Built from green cobbled stones with emeralds imbedded throughout each stone, it stood tall and was so much bigger inside the fence than she had imagined. Like Time Lord technology - bigger on the inside. It was magnificent! She practically skipped up to the huge doors.

Walking inside the castle, a sudden chill crept over her from the cooler air within. No one stood waiting for her. No one was guarding the entrance. Could just anyone walk in?

"Hello?" she spoke loudly, looking around the empty foyer. No one answered her, so she began walking.

Finding the biggest hallway, she walked towards it, bypassing the stairs in hopes of just finding the back door and getting out of there. Opulent or not, the place still gave her the creeps and she just wanted to be home, safe and sound in the TARDIS where she belonged.

The hallway she walked through stopped at the entrance of a huge ballroom, which Rose found a bit odd. But then again, so was everything else on this planet, so, no, not so surprising then. The room was dark and she couldn't stop herself from pulling open the lush velvet curtains of the closest window to see what was in there, just hoping against hope that maybe there was another door that would lead her outside. Turning around, she noticed the portraits hanging around the room, standing at least six feet high on the walls, glaring down at her. Daleks. Portraits of Daleks!

Rose backed out of the room quickly and jogged back down the hallway until she found a smaller one and immediately turned down it. That hall came to an end at a library. It was the biggest she'd ever seen, and she slowly walked in, looking down the aisles still searching for an exit. There was a set of stairs at the end of the long row of aisles she walked and slowly she looked up, seeing where they went. There were more shelves of books there, and a few statues. She looked closer at the statues, mistaking them for the armored shells of knights, like she'd seen in movies of olden times. But then they all stepped forward in unison, and suddenly it was all too clear. Cybermen!

Rose ran out of the library and back up the hall, finding herself in the foyer again as she literally slid to a stop at the front doors. She pulled on them but they wouldn't budge. And she could hear the metalic steps of the cybermen - they were coming. Rose ran to the staircase and took the steps two at a time until she reached the top. She dared look down, hearing the stomping footsteps getting closer, but they weren't in sight yet. Running to the left, she ran as quietly as she could, finding what seemed like an endless row of doors. Turning a corner, she found the end of the line. No other set of steps for her to escape by, oh no, just one double set of doors.

Rose closed her eyes for a moment. "Here goes nothing," she said under her breath. Grabbing hold of the handles, she pushed the doors open and found herself ... in the TARDIS? It certainly looked like the TARDIS, but no - it couldn't be. She walked in further and turned around, looking over every little detail of the ship.

"You're going to catch flies like that," the Doctor spoke and Rose snapped her mouth shut so fast you could actually hear her teeth slam together. Slowly she turned around, her eyes looking from his feet up to his face, finally meeting his eyes. His very _green_ eyes. "Nice shoes, by the way. Very flashy."

"You ... You're ... This can't be real," Rose said, slowly sinking down to the floor until she was sitting on it. The Doctor knelt down in front of her, concern clear for the weary girl in front of him.

"You are a long way from home, Rose Tyler," he said gently. "A very long way. You don't belong in this world."

"What world is that?" she asked, looking down, not quite able to meet those very wrong emerald green eyes of his. "And how do you know who I am then, if I don't belong here?"

"I am the Wizard. I know everything," he stated, his tone matter-of-fact.

"Same attitude," Rose mumbled as she picked an imaginary string from her pants leg.

The 'other' Doctor lifted her chin, bringing it up until their eyes met. She couldn't help but stare into those green orbs of his. It was wrong. All so very, very wrong. And she was so very tired.

"I want to go home," Rose said, even her voice was tired. She closed her eyes and a single tear spilled down. " Help me. Doctor, please help me," she pleaded.

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"I want to go home. Help me. Doctor, please help me."

The Doctor's head shot up from the spot on the floor he'd been staring at. He stood from where he'd been sitting and got up right beside her, his face so close to hers his breath blew a few strands of her hair.

"I'm here Rose. Can you hear me? I'm here," he said, taking her hand in his and squeezing it. He noticed her respiration and pulse were all within normal range. And he hoped that somehow she was able to hear him, this time.

"Rose?"

He was staring at her so intensely his eyes should have hurt. "Come back to me, Rose. It's time to come home now," he whispered softly.

Her eyes fluttered open and she slowly looked up at him. "Oh Rose Tyler, you are a sight for sore eyes," he said, his smile growing with each word that passed his lips.

"And your eyes are brown - it's you!" she said, smiling back at him.

"Who else would I be?" He looked at her a bit confused, but his grin remained.

"What happened?"

The Doctor blew out a breath as his smile faded. "The TARDIS malfunctioned on the way to Garchenia, and she threw us around a bit. You got the worst of it." He pushed her bangs back away from her forehead, his hand lingering where it was. "How's your head feeling? It took quite a beating," he said sympathetically.

"Yeah. It feels like it, too." She lifted her hand - the one the Doctor wasn't holding, to the bump on her head. "Ow - my wrist hurts, too," she said, holding it in front of her face and looking it over.

The Doctor grinned. "I bet. I think you landed on it. Luckily for you though, I can make it feel better." He pulled out his sonic screwdriver and adjusted it properly, then held it over her head for a few moments. "Excellent!" he said enthusiastically. Taking the tool and waving it over the wrist she held out, he adjusted it and could soon see by the look on Rose's face that it felt better. After putting the sonic screwdriver back in his pocket, he helped her to sit up then turned and went over to the counter, coming back quickly with a cup of tea and a capsule. Rose took the pill without question, swallowing a bit of the cold tea to help it down.

Rose looked at him as she set the cup down in her lap. He had the silliest smile on his face and she wanted to know just what it was about. "What's with the smiling?" she asked.

"You were talking a bit while you were unconscious. Care to share what you were dreaming about?" he asked with a raised eyebrow and a crooked grin.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," she answered, then did her best to supress a yawn. "What did I say?"

"Ohhhh, now Rose, I think you need to get some rest, don't you? You're body's been through an awful lot and ..."

"Doctor? What did I say?" she asked a bit nervously.

He smiled a genuine smile. "Nothing bad, except when you called me names, I suppose. But I'll tell you what. You and I," he began, holding his hand out to her, prompting her to stand, "we'll head over to your room, and once you're all tucked in, both of us can make up a bedtime story." His grin was almost sinister.

"Uh, okay," Rose replied with a look of confusion as they walked out of the med bay.

The Doctor put an arm around Rose's shoulders as they walked down the corridor towards her room. "Yep. You can tell me all about lubrication, and who the little bastard is, and why you think I'll never have you."

If it were possible, the Doctor could feel the blush rising in Rose. "Should make for a very interesting bedtime story, don't you think?"

The End.


End file.
